Tsuneyoshi file photo [4342]

Tsuneyoshi

Given NameTsuneyoshi
HouseImperial House of Japan
Born3 Mar 1909
Died11 May 1992
CountryJapan
CategoryMilitary-Ground
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbasePrince Tsuneyoshi was the only son of Prince Tsunehisa and Princess Masako; Princess Masako was the sixth daughter of Emperor Meiji, which made Prince Tsuneyoshi a first cousin to Emperor Showa. On 23 Apr 1919, he was named the head of the Takeda branch of the Japanese Imperial Family. He was educated at the Gakushuin and the Imperial Army Academy; upon completing the latter, he was given commission as a sub-lieutenant in the Japanese Army cavalry in Jul 1930 and was sent to Manchuria. On 12 May 1934, he married Mitsuko Sanjo, the youngest daughter of Prince Kiteru Sanjo; they had five children together. During the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, he was a member of Japan's equestrian team. In Aug 1936, at the rank of captain, he was sent back to Manchuria once again. In 1938, he returned to Japan to attend the Army War College. In Aug 1940, he was promoted to the rank of major and headed the personnel department of the Army General Staff in Tokyo. In Aug 1943, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and headed Unit 731 of the Kwantung Army, which conducted biological weapons research on human subjects; it had not been proven that Prince Tsuneyoshi was aware of the atrocities. He then served briefly as Emperor Showa's personal liaison to the Saigon, Vietnam headquarters of General Hisaichi Terauchi of the Japanese Southern Army. After the Japanese surrender, he ensured that Kwantung Army's officers complied with the surrender order. After the war, on 14 Oct 1947, Prince Tsuneyoshi and his family were made common citizens. He moved to his estate in Chiba Prefecture, Japan to raise race horses. In late 1947, he started a knitting machine business, but the company soon failed. In 1948, he became the president of the Japan Skating Association and a member of the north Tokyo Rotary Club. In 1962, he became the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, playing an important role in the organization of the 1946 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo; he was also a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1967 to 1981, during which he was director of its executive board for five years. He died of heart failure in 1992.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Jul 2007

Photographs

Prince Tsuneyoshi, date unknownPrince Tsuneyoshi of Takeda with his wife Mitsuko Sanjo and children Prince Tsunetada and Princess Motoko, 11 Oct 1942

Tsuneyoshi Timeline

3 Mar 1909 Tsuneyoshi was born.
11 May 1992 Tsuneyoshi passed away.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB
Tsuneyoshi Photo Gallery
Prince Tsuneyoshi, date unknown
See all 2 photographs of Tsuneyoshi


Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!